Beware Auction Buddies on ebay!

I usually don’t like to spend my blogging time writing about really annoying topics or events.

Today will certainly be the exception to that ‘rule’.

After having spent over 4 MONTHStrying to get a refund for an item I ordered in good faith on ebay, I felt it was my duty to share some of my sad tale of woe and hopefully save another consumer (perhaps many, many more) from a similiar fate.

Here goes….and I will try to keep this brief:

First there was a little exercise bike like this:

Several months ago, I had read with glee that the svelte, fiber-loving Sheepish Anniehad enjoyed the thrill of staying in shape AND knitting at the same time(what a dream combo!!!!)after purchasing a similar mini-bike.

After reading all the details on Annie’s blog, I wanted one too. No more excuses not to exercise, I reasoned. Happily I pondered the productivity levels soaring, for both pursuits.

On October 26, 07, I purchased the above cycle from Auction Buddieson ebay. The description was very clear and concise, I was ordering and would be receiving a BRAND NEW bike, in short order. That’s when the yarn started to unravel and the pedal fell off, so to speak…..

Not only did I NOT receive a brand new bike, I spent the next 4 months (up until this week) trying to get someone to GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK!!!!

In reality, the bike I received looked liked this:

Damaged, dirty and definitely NOT a BRAND NEW bike. (The reality is even worse than the photos. Several deep scratches on the controls, broken pedal, smudges on the manual, dirt on the bike in several places.)

So at this point, you think (or at least I did) it’s an easy fix. Get hold of the seller Auction Buddiesand explain their honest mistake and get a refund on the way.

If that fails, there’s always paypals empty promises of resolving buyers issues should they arise. It says so right on the paypal site. I mean, what’s a woman to believe?

I won’t bore you with all the gorey details, suffice to say, this is NOT a seller that you EVER want to deal with and don’t expect much from paypal by way of a back-up plan, if you are ever ripped-off in a similar fashion.

After over 25 (you read that right) long, detailed emails, photos sent to paypal and seller, bike returned to seller…more money and energy down the drain for me, plenty of begging, pleading…..you name it, guess who is FINALLY sending me back some money to pay for this fiasco?

That’s right. Auction Buddiesrefused to ‘make things right’ in any way, shape or form and has continued to thisday to not even bother to reply to my numerous and detailed emails.

Auction Buddies only follow-up (via paypal) on this dispute after paypal got involved, and after I tried to work with them amicably to get a refund for the bike and my postage, was the following in late November:

“If you do not believe your item is brand new we have offered to have it exchanged for you but you will need to return the item to us so we can take it back to our supplier and have it exchanged for a new one. “

Oh, I believed alright (love that line). Why would I want to risk receiving another damaged bike, that I would again have to return, at my expense, after the first one was misrepresented on their site? No apologies, no offer of a refund just- take another chance at another bike, that’s our final offer.

Paypal, not any better. They on the other hand loved to reply to emails but offered no concrete help(ie cash back) in terms of ‘making this right’. So much for buyer protection, eh?

I was even told in February by paypal that they would not be able to help me any longer with this dispute because I had sent them an incorrect tracking number for the returned (at my expense) bike. No checking the numbers, no phone calls, just dropping me back into Auction Buddies hell, after over 3 MONTHS of …..

Trying to get my money back!

After the steam stopped coming out of ears…….I verified the Canada Posttracking number with paypal (which I had sent correctly the first time, not my error at all) they graciously LOL decided to consider ‘appealing’ my case, at that point.

OK, that was on February 4th. Auction Buddiesnever helped. Paypal never helped….. And as you can see above,paypal is still looking into this dispute as I type this! No problemo……I just need to learn how to be patient, right?

If not for Canada Postand having paid insurance to send this item back I would probably have never received a dime back for this ‘hunk of junk’ I was sent by Auction Buddies. Canada Post is now going to cover this loss to me, as the returned item has somehow magically disappeared it seems!!!

One more note re: emails. It appears that Auction Buddies doesn’t bother to answer emails from Canada Post either, or so I was told by a Canada Post rep. after they also tried to contact this seller, to no avail.

At least the Auction Buddies customer service team aren’t picking favorites!!!! LOL

If you are a fan of ebay, here’s a consumer nightmare you won’t want to forget.

Steer clear ofAuction Buddies whatever you do and don’t expect any help from paypal,if you end up in a similar mess.

This is definitely NOT what I’d classify as excellent customer service; something that both Auction Buddies and paypallove to extol on their respective sites.

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19 responses

I’m sorry to hear that you had so much trouble! When I first read about Annie’s bike, I bought one on eBay, too. But fortunately I didn’t have the trouble you did. If you want me to look up the company I bought from, I’ll try to find it. But I bet the postage would be really high to Canada.

Good Lord!!! That’s just insane. Ebay used to be a “community” and you could count on people working together to make the system run smoothly. I don’t Ebay so much any more. It’s just not fun. So sorry you had to go through such a hassle.

What you have gone through is a bad situation and I am sorry you have had to go through that. I do buy things from time to time on ebay and luckily have not gone through what you went through. I find it better (you hope) if I buy something from an individual who seems to give an accurate description and answers your emails with any questions.. I find I get the item I want that way. I hope you eventually get your bike.

(sigh)
I’m especially upset to learn of the PayPal mess. There are all kinds of bad sellers on ebay, and I try very hard to remember to look at feedback before I bid! (Yes, I’ve been burned, too). Ebay’s mediation plan Square Trade is as bad as what you’ve described here. My ONE black mark as a seller came in a similar situation, where I followed all the rules and got slapped with negative feedback. No matter what I did, ST was useless (and costly).

But PayPal (knock wood) has always worked well for me. I use it on my website. (ok…perhaps it’s that I’m a seller who can be trusted to do the right thing, but still?)

I hope you can find one of those bikes in another venue. The idea is cool!
(((hugs)))

Hi Beth, I did get another bike eventually (as a Christmas gift) that was from Sears, no problem at all with this one.

Hi Caroline, Thanks for that. What I don’t understand is how these sellers can ignore just how much bad publicity can follow a co. around for a loooooooooong time, via the internet. If you search on Google for Auction Buddies, this post shows up in the #5 spot. How’s that for visibility. I would have much rather had good things to say though but there was nothing in that respect, from this consumer ordeal.

Hi Sheep, You are lucky to have purchased just a bike, not all the ‘added hassle’ I received at no extra charge. 😦 This co. is to be avoided, that’s for sure.

Hi Heather, Heaps is right!!! Thanks.

Hi DSK, Thanks for stopping in! I totally agree.

Hi Gemma, Did receive a bike as a gift but this mess was very draining. I don’t need extra stress, who does!

Hi Sallee, I am amazed that you would ever receive any negative feedback, sorry to hear about that. I’m sure it was unwarrented. Yes, I was shocked by paypal’s lack of interest and assistance, I use to sing their praises, loudly. Not any more sadly.

Hi Ruinwen, Thanks, every consumer counts!

Thanks for your comments, do spread the word (consumers are powerful!) and ‘buyer beware’ ,G

Hi Carrie, For all the complaining we do about Canada Post, up here in …..Canada LOL, they did come through this time, with top marks.

And I’m sure the ‘word’ has spread, re: Auction Buddies, several times already, due to how many people have now heard my sad consumer tale. I did find out how popular ebay was and it’s a place that people do have to chose wisely, in terms of companies and individuals they are buying from. Again, buyer beware!

Hi Michelle, I’m with you M, my first and last trip through ebay-land….I’m sure there are lots of good co. and people selling on ebay but I won’t be taking a chance on this again. I love Etsy though, that’s my kind of online shopping.

sorry you had so much trouble with them. Good on Canada Post for jumping in and doing something about this. I didn’t get to see the photos (I’m using my home computer so the photos take forever to load on dial up) but I definitely get ‘the picture’ as you’ve described the situation. So glad things have finally been rectified.

Did you leave bad feed back? I had the same problem once over yarn of all things. I am a big fan of Ebay and there are a few who ruin it. I bought expensive yarn that normally I would never do but this person had it for a good price. She didn’t have a very good feed back but I gave her the benifit of the doubt. I waited and waited and no yarn. I emailed her and she said she never received the money order. (I don’t do paypal). I finally called the money order company and they told me she had cashed it 3 days after I sent it to her. I was very mad after that and sent her an email saying she received the money order and had cashed it to boot! No response. I sent 4 emails all together and no response so I left bad feed back and boom. She sent an email right away saying I had no right leaving bad feed back. She said I sent a blank money order. No name, no bidding name nothing. Like I send out blank money orders. I told her even if it was true (and it wasn’t) here she has mystery money order in the exact amount of my order that she said never came????? Needless to say she left bad feed back for me as well but that was fine. You do have to be careful who you buy what from and the more expensive the item the more careful you have to be. I will say I thought Ebay would come to the rescue if something went bad?

I had issues with Paypal when I requested they help me get my money back, too. I just kept getting automated responses, and finally their “solution” was that I return the item to the seller, by registered mail, which would cost me more than what I paid for the item in the first place.

I was not too impressed with their customer service, to say the least.

Hey,
Just wanted to let you know I totally agreed with you and wish I had read this before ever purchasing ANYTHING from Auction Buddies.

I ordered Brown Hair extensions from them a few weeks before a wedding I was a part of.. paid for express shipping etc. When I opened the package I found broken damaged platnum blond extensions and was obviously frustrated. Further it had taken auction buddies so long to ship the itme it was the day before the wedding when the blonde ones arrived.

Anyway, I contacted them and they promised to send me brown extensions. As I was not going to need the extensions anymore I told them I’d rather have a refund. I sent the blonde ones back as they requested and after 2 months of argueing for my refund I still have nothing. So I contacted paypal and filed a claim. Auction buddies then claimed that I damaged the hair extensions. Paypals decision was that I send back the extensions for a refund but as I had already sent the item back regular post and auction buddies had recieved them I had no tracking number to provide so Auction buddies told paypal they had not recieved the item and not to refund me. I then filed a claim through my credit card company and again auction buddies claimed I had not returned the item they sent.

I too am in the middle of a dispute with Hairannex.com/Auctionbuddies!! In short, I ordered hair which came asap but was the wrong color. I reordered the correct color and returned te other hair extensions back in Jan.It is now mid March and I have had no refund and they gave me the lost in the mail slogan that we all got. She was also a rude, cheeky beotch and is stringing me along. She boasted about how they have been in business for 8 yrs and $100 bucks is no big deal??WDF??? It is to me and if they are so big, why do they not have a phone number?? I’m going to do everything I can to have them shut down and run out of business, because they have horrible reviews all over the net! I have no idea how they can sleep at night, but they must those rare people who were born heartless!! Beware and stay away from this company!!! They are not to be trusted and have negative reviews all over!I am trying to get a refund through Paypal.